Method and apparatus for program selection

• US 6,005,597 A
• Filed: 10/27/1997
• Issued: 12/21/1999
• Est. Priority Date: 10/27/1997
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Original Assignee: Disney Enterprises Incorporated (The Walt Disney Company)
• Inventors: Lee, Gillian M., Simpson, M. O. S. C. Jasba, Rosenthal, Eric D., Miller, Scott N., Barrett, David S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Faile, Andrew I.
• Assistant Examiner(s): BROWN, RUEBEN M
• Application Number:
  US08/958,656
• Time in Patent Office: 785 Days
• Field of Search: 348/564, 348/1, 348/7, 348/10, 348/12, 455/2
• US Class Current: 725/46
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/252 Processing of multiple end-users' preferences to derive collaborative data
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/25891 being end-user preferences retrieval of video data in a video database based on user preferences G06F16/739; arrangements for recognizing users' preferences H04H60/46; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/2668 Creating a channel for a dedicated end-user group, e.g. insertion of targeted commercials based on end-user profiles information retrieval from the Internet by querying with filtering and personalisation G06F16/9535; arrangements for replacing or switching information during the broadcast H04H20/10; push services over packet-switching network H04L12/1859; adaptation of message content in packet-switching networks H04L51/063
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/44224 Monitoring of user activity on external systems, e.g. Internet browsing
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4532 involving end-user characteristics, e.g. viewer profile, preferences monitoring of user activities for profile generation for accessing a video database G06F16/739; user profiles in network data switching protocols H04L67/306; processing of user preferences or user profiles in wireless networks H04W8/18
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4622 Retrieving content or additional data from different sources, e.g. from a broadcast channel and the Internet web site content organization and management for information retrieval from the Internet G06F16/958; transmission by internet of broadcast information H04H60/82; stock exchange data over packet-switching network H04L12/1804; push services including data channel over packet-switching network H04L12/1859
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/47 End-user applications
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4782 Web browsing , e.g. WebTV
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4788 communicating with other users, e.g. chatting arrangements for providing for computer conferences, e.g. chat rooms, to substation in data switching networks H04L12/1813; distributed application using peer-to-peer [P2P] networks H04L67/104
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/482 End-user interface for program selection broadcast systems using EPGs H04H60/72
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/4826 using recommendation lists, e.g. of programs or channels sorted out according to their score
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/6582 Data stored in the client, e.g. viewing habits, hardware capabilities, credit card number arrangements where receivers interact with the broadcast H04H20/38
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 21/84 Generation or processing of descriptive data, e.g. content descriptors systems specially adapted for using meta-information in broadcast systems H04H60/73
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/45 Picture in picture , e.g. displaying simultaneously another television channel in a region of the screen
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 5/50 Tuning indicators; Automatic tuning control
• CPC Class Codes: H04N 7/163 by receiver means only

Abstract

The present invention comprises a method and apparatus for television program selection that monitors the viewing preferences of a viewer to create a dynamic viewer profile that is used to rate available programs. Based on the viewer profile, available programs are sorted and presented to the viewer in descending order of predicted interest. The invention allows a viewer to quickly find the program of greatest interest to the viewer without having to tediously search through large numbers of available programs. The invention may also be used for selecting from among a plurality of programs other than television programs, such as, for example, radio programs or audio or video programs stored on digital storage media such as CD'"'"'s and DVD'"'"'s.

Claims

1. A method for presenting a selection of available programs to a user comprising:

determining initial user interest criteria;

said user interest criteria comprising a plurality of program criteria;

said user interest criteria further comprising positive and negative factor values for each of a plurality of said program criteria;

monitoring a user'"'"'s program selection choices;

detecting said user'"'"'s selection of a first selected program;

incrementing a positive factor value for criteria associated with said first selected program upon said user'"'"'s selection of said first selected program;

detecting said user'"'"'s selection of a second selected program prior to the end of said first selected program;

incrementing a positive factor value for criteria associated with said second selected program and incrementing a negative factor value for criteria associated with said first selected program upon said user'"'"'s selection of said second selected program prior to the end of said first selected program;

ranking available programs according to said user interest criteria;

presenting said available programs to said user according to said ranking.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein said user interest criteria comprises a user profile.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein said user interest criteria comprises program content interest criteria.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein said user interest criteria comprises program title interest criteria.

5. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

augmenting said user interest criteria using collaborative user interest criteria.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein said programs comprise television programs.

7. The method of claim 1 wherein said programs comprise radio programs.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein said programs comprise audio or video programs recorded on digital storage media.

9. The method of claim 1 further comprising:

determining said available programs by consulting program schedule information retrieved from a program schedule information source.

10. The method of claim 9 wherein said program schedule information source is a site on the internet.

11. The method of claim 9 wherein said program schedule information source is a broadcast signal.

12. Program selection apparatus comprising:

a program access device for accessing a plurality of available programs;

a program output device for outputting a program to a user;

a controller coupled to said program access device and said program output device, said controller comprising;

a processor;

memory comprising available program description data and user interest criteria data, said user interest criteria data comprising a plurality of program criteria, said user interest criteria data further comprising positive and negative factor values for each of a plurality of said program criteria, said memory further comprising;

program code readable by said processor for monitoring a user'"'"'s program selection choices;

program code readable by said processor for detecting said user'"'"'s selection of a first selected program;

program code readable by said processor for incrementing a positive factor value for criteria associated with said first selected program upon said user'"'"'s selection of said first selected program;

program code readable by said processor for detecting said user'"'"'s selection of a second selected program prior to the end of said first selected program;

program code readable by said processor for incrementing a positive factor value for criteria associated with said second selected program and incrementing a negative factor value for criteria associated with said first selected program upon said user'"'"'s selection of said second selected program prior to the end of said first selected program;

program code readable by said processor for ranking available programs according to said available program description data and said user interest criteria data and for instructing said program output device to present said available programs to said user according to said ranking.

13. The program selection apparatus of claim 12 wherein said user interest criteria comprises a user profile.

14. The program selection apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a user input device for providing user input.

15. The program selection apparatus of claim 14 wherein said memory further comprises program code readable by said processor for updating said user interest criteria based upon said user input.

16. The program selection apparatus of claim 12 further comprising a communications interface coupled to said controller.

17. The program selection apparatus of claim 12 wherein said user interest criteria comprises program content interest criteria.

18. The program selection apparatus of claim 12 wherein said user interest criteria comprises program title interest criteria.

19. The program selection apparatus of claim 16 wherein said memory further comprises program code readable by said processor for receiving augmented user interest criteria via said communications interface.

20. The program selection apparatus of claim 12 wherein said program access device comprises television program receiving apparatus.

21. The program selection apparatus of claim 12 wherein said program access device comprises radio program receiving apparatus.

22. The program selection apparatus of claim 12 wherein said program access device comprises a digital storage media player.

23. The program selection apparatus of claim 16 wherein said memory further comprises program code readable by said processor for receiving said program description data via said communications interface.

24. The program selection apparatus of claim 20 wherein said program access device comprises a decoder for extracting data from a vertical blanking interval of a television program signal.

25. The program selection apparatus of claim 12 wherein said program output device comprises loudspeakers.

26. The program selection apparatus of claim 12 wherein said program output device comprises a video monitor.

27. A program storage device readable by a machine, tangibly embodying a program of instructions executable by the machine to perform a method for presenting a selection of available programs to a user, said method comprising:

determining initial user interest criteria;

said user interest criteria comprising a plurality of program criteria;

said user interest criteria further comprising positive and negative factor values for each of a plurality of said program criteria;

monitoring a user'"'"'s program selection choices;

detecting said user'"'"'s selection of a first selected program;

incrementing a positive factor value for criteria associated with said first selected program upon said user'"'"'s selection of said first selected program;

detecting said user'"'"'s selection of a second selected program prior to the end of said first selected program;

incrementing a positive factor value for criteria associated with said second selected program and incrementing a negative factor value for criteria associated with said first selected program upon said user'"'"'s selection of said second selected program prior to the end of said first selected program;

ranking available programs according to said user interest criteria;

presenting said available programs to said user according to said ranking.

28. The program storage device of claim 27 wherein said user interest criteria comprises a user profile.

29. The program storage device of claim 27 wherein said user interest criteria comprises program content interest criteria.

30. The program storage device of claim 27 wherein said user interest criteria comprises program title interest criteria.

31. The program storage device of claim 27 wherein said method further comprises:

augmenting said user interest criteria using collaborative user interest criteria.

32. The program storage device of claim 27 wherein said programs comprise television programs.

33. The program storage device of claim 27 wherein said programs comprise radio programs.

34. The program storage device of claim 27 wherein said programs comprise audio or video programs recorded on digital storage media.

35. The program storage device of claim 27 wherein said method further comprises:

determining said available programs by consulting program schedule information retrieved from a program schedule information source.

36. The program storage device of claim 35 wherein said program schedule information source is a site on the internet.

37. The program storage device of claim 35 wherein said program schedule information source is a broadcast signal.